Sleep disorders affect up to 90% of the population, and of these various cases, sleep apnea is the most important worldwide problem, occurring in about 3 to 5% of the general population. Apnea, (Greek for no breath) is a cessation of breathing for longer than 30 seconds, however a respiratory cessation for more than 5 to 7 seconds may be uncomfortable or indicate mild clinical apnea. Respiratory periodicity does vary normally being slower during rest or sleep. In fact, short periods of apnea in which breathing ceases for a few seconds before resuming, normally occur during sleep.
The breathing rate largely determines the blood and tissue content of oxygen and carbon dioxide. When longer periods of apnea alternate with periods of ‘catch up’ rapid, heavy breathing, these irregular cycles are called Cheyne-Stokes respiration and may be indicative of abnormalities influencing the respiratory pacemaker located in the brain stem. Such a condition is referred to as central apnea.
Sleep apnea can be a serious even lethal problem for susceptible or debilitated cases having some intercurrent disease. Sleep apnea contributes to daytime sleepiness, inattention on the job and auto accidents. The apnea occurs in two principal forms: (1) obstructive, due to a mechanical partial blockage of respiratory passages particularly in the throat and (2) central, involving a change in the respiratory pacemaker in the brain stem. The obstructive type is far more common and has prompted a wide variety of means for treatment including weight loss regimens, throat muscular exercises, special sprays, or surgery to remove redundant tissues. Further, expensive, complex, uncomfortable, unpleasant air pressure devices have been successful in treating more complex cases of intermittent obstruction.
Anatomically, extension of the neck with forward thrusting of the jaw opens the throat passages. When applicable to the respiratory obstructive problem, jaw elevation can be remarkably helpful. A number of external appliances, neck pillows, neck bracing jaw thrusters and head traction devices have been developed for this purpose but are unwieldy, uncomfortable bulky or fixed and not freely adjustable as needed.
With the above Background in mind, improvements to, and advancement in curative devices or appliances will be welcomed by sleep apneics, and by persons having temporary obstruction due to enlargement of throat structures due to upper respiratory and/or throat infections.